Bowden wire clip



Oct. 27, 1964 c. H. BECKER 3,154,277

BOWDEN WIRE .CLIP

Filed Dec. 24, 1962 1 20 v I25 1 /A 32 Invenioz! Charles H.B 028422, by

United States Patent 3,154,277 BGWDEN WERE CL? Charles H. Becker,Braintree, Mass, assignor to United- Carr Incorporated, a corporation oiDelaware Filed Dec. 24, 1962, Ser. No. 246,768 3 Claims. ((11. 24873)This invention relates generally to wire clips such as a clip for usewith Bowden wire or other similar devices.

An object of this invention is to provide a Bowden wire clip which willsnap engage an apertured support.

Another object of the invention is to provide a Bowden wire clip whichwill grip and prevent rotation of the outer shield of a Bowden wiredevice engaged with the clip.

A further object of the invention is to provide a Bowden wire clip whichwill prevent axial movement of the outer shield on application of anaxial force.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the clip;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the clip shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the clip shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the clip engaged to a Bowden wire prior tothe engagement with a support;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view assembled; and

PEG. 7 is a side elevation partially in section of the assembly shown inFIG. 6.

There is shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 a Bowden wire clip comprising abight portion 1% having a pair of legs 1 12 extending from said bightportion 10. The legs 12 are in spaced relat on to each other and lie onplanes which are in substantially acute angular relation to each othe Atthe free terminal end of each of the legs 12 a finger tab 34 is formed,each extending away from a line drawn between the two legs 12. Each ofthe legs 12 has side edges 32 from which locking tabs 16 extend. A pairof locldng tabs 16 are formed on each leg 12. The locking tabs 16 formedon each leg are in spaced relation to each other. Each of the lockingtabs 16 are formed adjacent the finger tab 14 and extend from theirintegral leg toward the opposing leg. Each of the locking tabs 16 has anarcuate edge 18 directed toward the plane of the opposite leg 12 asshown in FIG. 2. The upper edge of each locking tab 16 is in closeproximity to the plane of the finger tab 14. The legs 12 are offset inrelation to each other so that one of the locking tabs 16 formed on eachof the legs 12 is directed toward the inner surface of its opposing leg12.

The Bowden wire comprises a helical spring or shield 20 and an innercontrol wire 22 which is circumscribed by the shield 26 and is axiallymovable in relation thereto.

The helix formed by the arcuate edges 18 of the two pairs of lockingtabs 16 is, prior to engagement of the total assembly, in phase with thecoils of the helical spring or shield 21}.

The support 24, such as formed on a heat control housing, has an innerwall 26, circular in configuration, defining an aperture through saidsupport 24. To engage the Bowden wire to the support 24, the Bowden wireis placed between the legs 12 with the arcuate edges 13 of the lockingtabs 16 engaged in phase between the coils of the shield 20 and the legsin offset relation to each other. The distance between the opposedarcuate edges 18 is slightly less than the root diameter of the shield20. The assembly of the clip and the Bowden wire is brought to thesupport 2d and the bight portion 15) is passed through the apertureformed by the inner wall 26 until the side edges 32 of the legs 12engage against the inner wall 26. The angle formed between 3,154,277.iatented Oct. 27, 1964 the legs 12 is greater for the major portion oftheir lengths than the diameter of the aperture in the support 24.Pressure is now exerted at right angles to the axis of the shield 20 andin the axial direction of the aperture formed in the support 2 As thepressure is continued, the legs 12 are forced in opposite directions inwhat may be referred to as an etfort to press the two legs into directopposing relationship. This latter action causes force to be exerted bythe arcuate edges 18 of the locking tabs 16 axially of the shield andagainst the individual coils of the shield Zii. At the same time thatthis distorting action is taking place in the relationship between thelocking tabs 16 and the coils of the shield 20, the two legs l2 arebeing forced toward each other since the distances between the legs 12are for a portion of their length below the locking tabs 16 greater thanthe diameter of the aperture formed in the support 24-. In order to havea fastener which will more easily snap into the aperture, notches 36 areformed on the side edges of the legs 12 slightly below the locking tabs16. The fastening is completed when the notches 30 snap into engagementwith the inner wall 26. The engagement action also bows the legs 12slightly in a direction away from the axis of the aperture formed in thesupport 24.

While there has been illustrated and described a preferred embodiment ofthe invention, it should be under stood that the invention is bestdescribed by the following claims.

I claim:

1. The combination of a Bowden wire clip, a Bowden wire and a support,said support having an inner wall defining an aperture, said Bowden wirehaving a helically coiled shield, said clip comprising a pair of legs inspaced angular relationship offset from each other and each of said legshaving a pair of side edges, tab means extending from each of said legstoward a line drawn between said legs, said tab means adapted to engagesaid shield in phase and said clip having means co-operatively engagingsaid inner wall of said support whereby said tab means are moved from anin phase relation with said shield coils to an out of phase relationshiptherewith.

2. The combination of a Bowden wire clip, a Bowden wire and a support,said support having an inner wall defining an aperture, said Bowden wirehaving a helically coiled shield, said clip comprising a pair of legs inangular relationship offset from each other, and attached together by abight portion and each of said legs having means of engaging said coiledshield and said clip having means cooperatively engaging said inner wallof said support whereby said means are moved from an in-phase relationwith said shield coils to an out-ot-phase relationship therewith.

3. The combination of a Bowden wire clip, a Bowden wire and a support,said support having an inner wall having an aperture, said Bowden wirehaving a helically coiled shield, said clip comprising a pair of legs inangular relationship offset from each other, and attached together by abight portion and each of said legs having a means of engaging saidcoiled shield and said clip having means co-operatively engaging saidinner wall of said support whereby said means are moved from a firstin-phase rela tion with said shield coils to a second relationshiptherewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,818,625 Hunter Aug. 11, 1931 2,555,292 Poupitch May 29, 1951 2,892,234Klein June 30, 1959 3,024,509 Harnann Mar. 13, 1962 3,052,748 CurtissSept. 4, 1962

1. THE COMBINATION OF A BOWDEN WIRE CLIP, A BOWDEN WIRE AND A SUPPORT,SAID SUPPORT HAVING AN INNER WALL DEFINING AN APERTURE, SAID BOWDEN WIREHAVING A HELICALLY COILED SHIELD, SAID CLIP COMPRISING A PAIR OF LEGS INSPACED ANGULAR RELATIONSHIP OFFSET FROM EACH OTHER AND EACH OF SAID LEGSHAVING A PAIR OF SIDE EDGES, TAB MEANS EXTENDING FROM EACH OF SAID LEGSTOWARD A LINE DRAWN BETWEEN SAID LEGS, SAID TAB MEANS ADAPTED TO ENGAGESAID SHIELD IN PHASE AND SAID CLIP HAVING MEANS CO-OPERATIVELY ENGAGINGSAID INNER WALL OF SAID SUPPORT WHEREBY SAID TAB MEANS ARE MOVED FROM ANIN PHASE RELATION WITH SAID SHIELD COILS TO AN OUT OF PHASE RELATIONSHIPTHEREWITH.